Dear Valued Readers and Contributors,

Greetings!

We are pleased to announce the release of the Anniversary Issue of ELT Choutari (March- May 2025). This issue presents a collection of reflective accounts from English language teachers and practitioners, offering diverse perspectives on teaching, learning, and research. The contributions explore the transformative power of reading, the evolution of pedagogical practices, the integration of AI tools in academic writing, and the application of the 7E instructional model in the language classroom. Collectively, these reflections underscore the significance of innovation, adaptability, and critical reflection in enhancing educational practices and learner engagement.

As language teachers, we devote a large portion of our time to planning lessons, designing material, evaluating students’ progress, and attending to the various needs of our pupils. However, writing, a critical tool for our personal and professional development, frequently remains overlooked during these hectic routines. For educators, writing is more than just a scholarly endeavour. It serves as a tool for reflection, professional growth, and engagement in the broader discourse outside classrooms. It is because we are documenting our experiences and making sense of our pedagogical decisions, our classroom difficulties, and our evolving identities.

Unlike previous issues, this is a generic issue which features reflections by influential ELT experts,  researchers. and teachers.  We hope their experiences and anecdotes will benefit our esteemed readers.

In a conversation with Chandra Bhadur Lama, Dr. Bal Ram Adhikari sketches out how reading was important in his personal and professional growth. Connecting his personal experiences, he highlights the importance and benefits of reading for a language learner. Building on his reflections, he argues that viewing reading solely as a receptive skill is a limited and often misguided perception. He emphasises the importance of redefining reading as an active, interpretive process. Furthermore, he advocates for a shift from explanatory to explorative reading, proposing several strategies to foster deeper engagement and critical thinking in the reading process.

Dr. Narendra Raj Paneru, in his article, reflects on his English language teaching and learning journey. He reveals his memories of learning English in three phases: learning shaped by memorisation and punishment during schooling, mechanical learning in higher education, and eventually the realisation that teaching is not merely conveying information but rather communicating the essence of a topic in the language that resonates with students. Reflecting on his personal and professional experiences, he sketches out a picture of a paradigm shift from chalkboards to clicks.

Similarly, Saban Kumar K.C. highlights the importance of AI tools in research and academic writing. Drawing instances from his thesis-writing journey, he sketches out how AI tools like ChatGPT, QuillBot, and Grammarly prove to be good research assistants in various phases of research planning, execution, and reporting. He also points to the pros and cons of using AI and recommends the way forward.

Likewise, Mr. Sagar Parajuli reflects on the 7E instructional model while teaching the story Treasure in the Forest, highlighting how it enhanced student engagement, critical thinking, and creativity in the English language classroom. Despite challenges like time constraints, linguistic barriers, and evaluation misalignment, the model fostered a more inclusive and student-centred learning environment. The experience reaffirmed the importance of reflective teaching and adaptive lesson planning for meaningful language learning.

For your convenience, here are the hyperlinks to the blog posts:

1. Reading as a Log in the Ocean: A Life Shaped by Words by Bal Ram Adhikari (PhD)
2. A Journey from Englishless Roots to English Classrooms by Narendra Raj Paneru (PhD)
3. AI in Academic Writing: A Researcher’s Reflection by Er. Saban Kumar K.C.
4. Reflective Writing on Lesson Planning Using 7E Model in English Language Teaching by Sagar Parajuli

Lastly, we extend heartfelt gratitude to our co-editor, Ganesh Kumar Bastola, and all our editors and reviewers—Jeevan Karki,  Mohan Singh Saud, Dr. Nani Babu Ghimire, Dr. Jnanu Raj Poudel, Sagar Poudel, Binod Duwadi, Puskar Chaudhary, Yadu Gnawali, and Dasharath Rai—for their dedicated efforts in bringing this issue to completion.

ELT Choutari is a platform for researchers, scholars, educators, and practitioners to share insights, practices, and narratives from classrooms and communities. We invite you to contribute to our upcoming first quarterly issue (June-August 2025) by submitting your articles and blogs to 2elt.choutari@gmail.com.

If you find value in the interviews, articles, and reflective pieces, please share them within your circles and feel free to leave your comments below each piece.

Happy Reading! Thank you.

Lead Editor- Ms. Karuna Nepal

Co-lead Editor-Mr. Ganesh Kumar Bastola